Low Dose Alcohol Effects on Early Processing in Non-Problem Drinkers

描述（由申请人提供）：传统上，消费适度的酒精剂量被认为是安全的，因为它们赋予的中毒水平最低。然而，最近的研究表明，即使是低到中等剂量水平也可能与与日常活动相关的复杂神经行为任务的损害有关。需要进一步的工作来揭示这些缺陷背后的神经行为系统。在当前的项目中，我们计划使用电生理技术来测量由中等酒精剂量引起的前意识感觉处理的中断，并测试这些中断与注意力偏差任务的表现缺陷相关的程度。我们认为，这些剂量的消费将损害用于保护高阶注意力系统的感觉机制，通过过滤无关的环境刺激，导致我们的行为任务的表现较差。 鉴于最近的数据表现和知觉障碍之间的分离，我们还将调查自我报告的中毒水平和感官和注意力系统中断之间的关系。使用年龄在25至55岁之间的健康男性和女性无问题适度饮酒者，将采用具有三个剂量水平（0.0%、0.04%和0.065%）的双盲、安慰剂对照设计。这些实验的结果将为我们提供关于酒精剂量对重要的前意识神经行为过程的影响的重要信息，这些酒精剂量通常被认为是良性的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Traditionally, consumption of moderate alcohol doses has been considered safe due to the minimal level of intoxication they confer. Recent studies, however, suggest that even low to moderate dose levels may be associated with impairments in complex neurobehavioral tasks relevant to daily activities. Further work to uncover the neurobehavioral system(s) underlying these deficits is needed. In the current project, we plan to use electrophysiological techniques to measure disruptions in preconscious sensory processing induced by moderate alcohol doses and test the extent to which these disruptions are associated with performance deficits on a task of attentional bias. We posit that consumption of these doses will impair sensory mechanisms used to protect higher-order attentional systems by filtering irrelevant environmental stimuli, resulting in poorer performance on our behavioral task. In light of recent data regarding the disassociation between performance and perceived impairment, we will also investigate the relationship between self-reported levels of intoxication and disruptions of sensory and attentional systems. Using healthy, male and female non-problem moderate drinkers between the ages of 25 and 55, a double-blind, placebo controlled design with three dose levels (0.0%, 0.04% and 0.065%) will be employed. The results of these experiments will provide us with important information regarding the effects of alcohol doses typically believed to be benign on important preconscious neurobehavioral processes.